PMQ for two

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  • WHAT IS A PMQ?
    • THE DUPLEX
    • The Row House Tour

WHAT IS A PMQ?

What is a PMQ?

Private Military/Married Quarters (PMQs) are housing provided to members of the military and their families. Here in Canada, our Qs are not rank-segregated- officers, NCOs and junior ranks all live together. You don’t need to be married to get a PMQ. Children and pets are other factors that determine the size of your house or apartment. Rank is only a factor later in life when you’re allowed bigger houses based on your function ex. base commander.

Various types of housing exist and vary greatly from base to base:

– Row houses: They look like they’re made out of lego, and are usually quite ugly. For the most part they’re a combination of plastic sidding and brick. Varying colour schemes exist across bases which make for a visual “journey” when searching for an address in Q-town.

Our first PMQ was in a row house, so the first House Tour shows you what you can do.

– A-frames: A 1.5 storey, stand-alone house. It looks like the letter “A” when seen from the side, and they usually have slanted ceilings on the upper floor.

We currently live in an A-frame. To see what we’ve done with the place, take a swing through the Project Gallery while I finish the spaces up for a proper house tour.

– Duplexes of varying sizes and layouts also exist They’re for bigger families have a touch more space and yard to go with them.

Our second PMQ was in a duplex. You can see what we did in our Duplex House Tour.

– Various other models for stand-alone or semi-detached houses exist, but for the sake of simplicity I won’t go into them as they’re not the same from base to base.

The point of a PMQ is to provide affordable and convenient housing for military families. This doesn’t mean we’re receiving the best of the best in terms of quality or design, but the experience you have in each PMQ is entirely what you make of it.

– Proximity: As a military family we work long hours. Proximity to base is key when going to pick up your SO at 2am. It also means you’re that much closer to you friends.

– Affordability: A family of four is supposed to be able to live off the salary of the most junior of ranks (junior NCM/or junior Officer). As such, housing cannot take up more than 25% of the member’s income. After a certain rank the cap is no longer in effect.

– Practicality: We move, a lot. Because housing markets can vary from base to base, and you don’t always get enough warning when you’re posted-out, selling and buying homes on short-term notice or in depressed markets can be a costly financial venture, which is outside of the purview of most military families. As such, housing is usually the cost of a mortgage as would be reflected by the local economy, and affordable for most.

– Community: The sense of community you gain from living near people who live what you do is invaluable. Long hours, deployments, courses, postings, exercises, and midnight trips to the Canex gas station for milk or tampons. Who better to give you a ride to the airport at 3am for a service flight on christmas morning then your neighbour who you picked-up at the airport in a snowstorm.

The downside to Q living is that you aren’t paying into property or acquiring equity. Not only that, but there are  limitations as to how much you can “decorate” your space. For good reason though, the housing has to be transferable from family to family and require minimal repairs after you move-out. No one is going to pay to renovate their Q, and painting the walls is not allowed without prior consent. Not only that, but you’re living in very close proximity to people.

So how do you modiffy the structure you live in, to make it a home? Easy, elbow grease and a budget.

Decor

Some things you cannot modify in the Q without a permit (attainable through your CFHA):

– You can paint the walls, but be prepared to re-paint them when you move out. There is a magical number of years after which you don’t have to re-paint, but the exact number is the subject of much lore and debate. No one can seem to get a straight answer out of anyone and experiences vary wildly, so buy some extra paint.

– Build structures in or around the Q such as fences, pools/spas, sheds etc.

– Modify the fixtures such as cabinetry, door-handles, light-fixtures, or doors (you can, just switch it back when you move out.)

What you can do in a Q:

– Hang things on the wall! Thumb tacs, nails, and sticky tac are a-ok in my books. So get creative. Nails mean bigger holes, which have to be speckled and painted-over when you leave.

– Work with what you got! Do you have a nice stairway with a window at the top? Same strategic mirror placement can change the distribution of light throughout.

– Pick each room’s function strategically! Does the biggest room in your house really need to house the TV and a couch? what about the other walls in that room?! Where should your bedroom go? street side, or yard side? What about the screaming children next door?

– Pick accents’ and furniture that will fit any future space (as well the one you have). Do not buy a corner bench that fits really nicely in your kitchen if you don’t see it fitting into another kitchen at a later date. Or if you do, don’t go out of budget for a one-house piece unless you’re willing to sell it on Craigslist when you leave. Do pick a bed frame you think can fit into another PMQ (not all floor-plans are created equal). A queen size bed is probably the biggest you can fit in the staircase.

– SET A BUDGET! There’s no point spending your mortgage, and then some, on furnishings for your home if you can DIY them,  find them at Target, local thrift stores, or Craigslist ’em for cheap.

woman in red dress on counter

Hi! My name is Ariel and I'm the voice behind PMQ for two. I create bright, bold, colourful, and eclectic home decor, DIYs and lifestyle content.

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PMQ for three

Time For A Cocktail

pmqfortwo

Instagram post 2196555291982441586_483183181 Decorating for Christmas is something that brings me great joy. Placing colours and textures in contrast scratches an itch, and then appreciating it all on a daily basis is even better. Today in my stories I’m sharing pics and tips from Christmases past, so make sure you go tell me how amazing it all is. My ego needs the boost! While you’re at it, check out the other colourful bloggers in the IG only tour (tagged in this photo). Happy hump day! •
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#chinoiseriechic #chinoiserie #retrokitchen #retrochristmas #vintagechristmas #vintagechristmasdecor #bhghowiholiday #ihavethisthingwithcolor #christmasdecor #kitchensink #vintagekitchen #eclecticdecor #bluekitchen #poinsettiasforchristmas #poinsettias #abmhappylife #pocketofmyhome #atomicranch #kitschmas
Instagram post 2195829762291490111_483183181 We have one nutcracker for each year together. Should I add one for JB? Would you believe that I themed our house tour around different materials!? (Because I have a lot of time) The entryway is wood, the bedroom is yarn, the nursery is metallics, so on and so forth. Go check it out on the blog! Tell me what ya think. @raintinroof @ourfifthhouse and @camilapavone are also sharing theirs today! •
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#nutcracker #nutcrackers #christmasdecor #christmasdecorations #christmasdecorationseverywhere #abmlifeissweet #12daysofchristmas #eclectichome #eclectichomedecor #curatedvintage #pocketofmyhome #fleamarketdecor #kitschmas #retrochristmas #nutcrackercollection #anthropologiehome
Instagram post 2195107465469473095_483183181 Wipe your paws on the way in! AD: Using our @fiskarsamericas multipurpose garden ships to cut through a doormat, I hacked the Anthro gingerbread house doormat for 5$. Full tutorial is on the blog for the curious!
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#anthropologiehome #anthropologiehack #retrochristmas #retrochristmasdecorations #gingerbreadhouse #gingerbreadhouses  #anthropologiechristmas #ihavethisthingwithcolor #abmlifeissweet #pocketofmyhome #retrokitchen #kitschmas #christmastime🎄 #ihavethisthingwithfloors #fiskars #christmascrafts #christmasdiy #wipeyourpaws #anthropologiechristmas
Instagram post 2192932954456261636_483183181 New boobs - who dis? Pregnancy and now maternity have brought some *interesting* changes to my body. Boobs being the biggest variable. I don’t love them, but hey, they’re part of the gig for now. AD: I’ve been dying to try the @knixwear maternity bra because it’s billed as leakproof, and all my other maternity bras are meh. They sent me one to try, and here’s my review: I like how it shapes and supports them. I look the most “normal” wearing it. The clasp is easy to open and close. I don’t like how the little cups inside aren’t fixed and move around, so when I fold it under during a feeding, I find I have to re-adjust before closing it. All things considered though, it’s the best I’ve tried so far, and the leakproof is true! No leaks.
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Have you tried it? What did you think?
Instagram post 2192206267112323470_483183181 Send eggnog! 🥚🍼🐔 Our Christmas party season starts this weekend! For the first year EVER we have to negotiate schedules and appearances based on babysitter availability. It’s like a board game based and negotiation and money. Fun eh? •
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#christmaspartyideas #christmaspartydecor #eclecticdecor #eclectichome #myhomestyle #bhghowiholiday #smallspacesquad #sideboardstyling #sideboarddecor #christmasdecor #christmasdecorations #abmlifeisbeautiful #sillyseason #christmasgiftideas #maximalism #styledhome #bhgholiday #fleamarketdecor #spoonflowerwrappingpaper
Instagram post 2191484958258745569_483183181 Uncle Eddy made it! If you think I spent 2hrs during JB’s naptime creating a cake topper inspired by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, then you’re 👏🏻absolutely👏🏻 right👏🏻 Check our the whole thing on the blog.
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#nationallampoonschristmasvacation #christmasvacationmovie #christmasvacationquotes #whitechristmastree #whitechristmas #christmasdecorations #caketopper #kitschmas #shittersfull #iamcreative #clarkgriswold #retrochristmastree #retrochristmas #christmasmovies #christmasmoviemarathon #livingroomdecor #bhghowiholiday
Instagram post 2190758601845295670_483183181 Whiskey caramel popcorn! You can make just about anything with @jacksonmorgancream , and their seasonal flavours are full of options! Check out the recipe on the blog! Tins of fancy caramel popcorn make a great gift, but they’re also a super tasty snack for your hallmark movie marathon 😜
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#whitechristmas #retrochristmas #retrochristmasdecorations #vintagechristmasdecor #vintagechristmasdecor #caramelpopcorn #retrokitchen #bhghowiholiday #theeverygirl #theeverygirlcooks #abmlifeisbeautiful #fleamarketdecor #maximalism #maximalistdecor #atomicranch #whitechristmasparty #pocketofmyhome
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